Approval rates
Comparing a judge's performance to broader benchmarks provides context for what to expect at your hearing. Judge Messer has maintained a consistent docket over his 9-year tenure. While his lifetime rate is 48%, his most recent reporting period shows a 56% approval rate, which is 1 point below the San Diego Hearing Office average of 57%. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not predictions for your individual hearing.
Office- and national-level breakdowns of fully favorable vs denial rates aren't currently published by SSA in the per-office disposition data. The judge's own breakdown is the detail we have today.
Approval rate over time
Year-over-year approval rate across Judge Messer's docket. Annual rates fluctuate with the mix of cases SSA assigns; the longer-run pattern is more informative than any single year.
Decision pattern
Over 9 years on the bench, Judge Messer has issued 17,108 decisions. His yearly trend shows a period of lower approval rates around 2020, followed by a gradual increase in recent years. The latest reporting period reflects a 56% approval rate, showing that your judge's current approach is more aligned with recent office-wide trends than his historical lifetime average.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Messer's bench. Judge-specific preparation guidance requires a corpus of public Appeals Council decisions involving each judge, which we haven't built yet.
- Bring a clean treating-physician record. Longitudinal primary-care or specialist notes spanning the disability period, with consistent symptom documentation, are typically the strongest evidence at hearing. A single month's records usually aren't enough.
- Don't rely on consultative exams alone. If your medical evidence is built primarily around a one-time CE finding, expect detailed questioning. Supplement with treating-source statements where possible.
- Prepare for daily-activity questions. Have honest, specific answers about a typical day. Answers that conflict with the medical record (in either direction) tend to hurt credibility.
- Expect transferable-skills probing. A vocational expert will usually testify about jobs available to someone with your limitations. Your representative should be prepared to cross-examine.
Hearing with Judge Messer? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the San Diego hearing office
The San Diego Hearing Office serves a large population in Southern California, managing a high volume of disability claims. With 6 judges on the bench, the office maintains an active docket and follows standard Office of Hearings Operations procedures. You can expect a professional environment focused on the evidence presented in your specific file. For more information, see the San Diego Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning you cannot choose your judge. Within the San Diego Hearing Office, the 6 ALJs range from 38% to 68% in their lifetime approval rates. This variance highlights that the specific judge assigned to your case can be a meaningful factor in the hearing process. You can find more information on the San Diego Hearing Office page.
Your odds change dramatically with a lawyer
SSDI hearing approval rates — represented vs. on your own
Source: U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO-18-37. The 3× gap is a population-wide average across all judges; individual outcomes vary.